Being Chatty at Work Just Might Save You from Layoffs

Never underestimate the power of schmoozing.

You may roll your eyes at the coworker who strolls around the office every Monday asking about your weekend. But just you watch—she'll stick around longer than anyone else. According to a new study, workers who chit-chat tend to avoid getting laid off.

Researchers from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania studied two years' worth of emails, IMs and calendar events at a consulting firm with more than 8,000 employees. Workers who messaged colleagues using words like "lunch," "coffee" or "football" were more likely to keep their jobs during rounds of layoffs, even if they didn't bring in the most money. Schmoozing was the single biggest predictor of whether employees kept their jobs, even more than getting results at work.

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Lead author Lynn Wu says there's a real value in social communication at the office. "Perhaps this person is a really good team player, and people really enjoy working with this person," she said in a video for Wharton's website. "Maybe he did not bill directly, but he enabled his co-workers or his colleagues to do a better job."

Wu also mentions the emphasis on schmoozing can have a negative impact on working parents, since face time in the office has a direct effect on keeping one's job. But companies can adopt workplace social media software to help keep workers in touch, no matter what they are. "Social networks also help you to [develop] relationships around you," she said. "It actually pays to get to know your co-workers, to understand what's going on."